Cultural Exchanges previous guests

The weeklong programme of events always includes thought-provoking discussions, performances and exhibitions from a variety of artists, academics, and practitioners working within the cultural field.

Previous guests at the Cultural Exchanges festival have included:

Trevor Nelson, who talked with Carol Leeming (Dare to Diva Productions) about being a broadcaster, presenter, DJ and work on the urban music scene.

Michael Billington, who informed and discussed the responsibilities of reviewing and the ever-changing demands of the profession.

Ken Loach, the renowned British film director who participated in a question and answer session to give insight into his works.

Lea Anderson, talked about the impact of filmmakers and other influences on her screen work.

Other guests have included:

Benjamin Zephaniah

Germaine Greer

Honor Blackman

Yasmin Alibhai-Brown

Alastair Campbell

Nitin Sawhney

Andrew Motion

Alan Yentob

Alan Moore

Sue Townsend

Alan Sillitoe

Meera Syal

Ben Okri

Heather Rabbatts

Louis De Bernieres

Hardeep Singh Kholi.

'It seemed an interesting programme, and I liked the fact that the whole thing was so student-orientated as well. I just thought it was a really warm event. People were really receptive and ready to ask questions. It wasn’t too showbizy! It has been very enjoyable!'

Simon Armitage, Poet

'I think it’s very important for there to be free events like this available because it gets people involved more, things like this should be made available to everyone, it’s good!'

Ekow Eshun, Artistic Director of the ICA

‘It was a terrific experience. It is great that the university does this, I think it’s great to get on campus and see city people.’